Legend of Zelda: The Shadow Scythe
by Teru Kisuke
Summary: Hyrule is invaded by the dark realm and a new hero of Hyrule must rise to make peace once again. An inexperienced swordsman, a mysterious girl, and a hostile shade from the past. Join them as they search for an artifact to save Hyrule: The Shadow Scythe!
1. Prologue

**Kisuke****: **Hello to all those readers/writers out there! The name's Kisuke and this is my first fanfiction story. I'm not inexperienced in story writing, though! Enough about me, let's get to the story! Link, do the disclaimer!

**Link****: **...

**Kisuke: **...

**Link: **...

**Kisuke**: ****Umm, err... Zelda, please do the disclaimer! X'D

**Zelda: **Teru Kisuke is an amateur writer that is only borrowing characters from Shigeru Miyamoto. All characters, other than the characters made from her imagination, don't belong to Kisuke. Credit belongs to Nintendo. No profits are made except for experimentation, fun, and learning.

**Kisuke: **Thank you Zelda, very professional! On with the story!

**(A/N): **I base my descriptions on the Super Smash Bros. Brawl models. Another thing: This is not a ZeLink or a yaoi. To be honest, I don't think there will be much of a romance theme besides a strong friendship thing. However, that could change later. I dunno. But for the fans that are into ZeLink and yaoi, I hope you can still enjoy this as much as any!

**Formatting: **

(*) -time lapse or change of PoV

_Italics_ -sound or thoughts.

**Bold underline** -Author notes

**Rating: **I guess rated T for some violence (it is a fighting game), not much else.

* * *

><p><strong>Legend of Zelda: The Shadow Scythe (Prologue)<br>**

A carriage with two horses in front of it trekked through the large fields of Hyrule. There was only one problem with it:

The carriage was on fire.

A merchant tried to blow out the flames at the back that started to erode the canvas away. It didn't help that the carriage was moving, but he had no choice. He was being attacked by Red Bubbles, the flying skulls with an aura of fire around them.

He cried out when a Red Bubble flew above his head and retreated back once again.

Another swooped in to attack!

_Tink!_

The skull was filled with needles and dissolved into ash. The merchant looked around nervously, trying to judge what had happened.

A figure hopped off the top of the carriage and whipped their hand around horizontally. Each of the skulls soon fell to the ground and shattered into dark ash.

Surprised, the merchant turned to look at the figure with interest.

This man had long blonde hair tied in a braid behind him and a hood and cowl covered his face. Only his thick blonde bangs and a ruby eye could be seen of his face. He also wore a blue jumpsuit, black boots, and a glimpse of a chest binding underneath.

This man was one of the survivors of the Sheikah.

He turned his back to the merchant, completely ignoring him, and looked up at the sky. Then he put his hand on his hip and murmured one thing:

"_So the Shadow has appeared once again. May the Eye watch over us all…"_

Before the man could thank him for the rescue, the Sheikah was gone.

(*)

"What do you mean there are monsters roaming Hyrule?"

Zelda was brought out of her daydreams and looked up from her seat in the throne room to look at her father, the King of Hyrule. She then looked over at the knight in question.

"There have been reports of monster sightings reported in Lost Woods, Your Highness. We're not sure why because it's not been long since Ganon has last been sealed. We're afraid that…"

"…Ganon may have broken his seal early. That is one of the only explanations," the King finished for him. He got up and paced back and forth in front of the throne with his hands folded behind his back. "I want our guards to man the gates once again, and to guard the drawbridge at night. If in case Ganon has risen once again to cause havoc, I want Hyrule to be ready and aware."

"Yes sir," the knight said. He got up and headed back the way he had come.

Zelda and the King were alone now.

"This can't be happening yet… Not now…" the King muttered crossly.

"Father," Zelda got up from her seat and walked over to him, "Ganon's seal has not been disturbed. I can sense it."

Her father stopped pacing and looked over at the princess, his gaze softer. "I trust your judgment, my daughter. But something is out there and we must prepare for it."

"Something else lurks, something we have missed before."

He nodded in agreement. "You may go now…" He turned his back to the princess.

"If you wish."

She smiled at him and headed to her own quarters. Then her face hardened in worry.

_If it is not Ganondorf, then who else could it be?_


	2. Chapter 1

**Kisuke****: **Hello, it's Kisuke again! This story is new, yes, so I am uploading the first few chapters for feedback before I continue. Chapter 3 is in development, so after Chapter 2 is updated expect only a delay of at most a week. I need to get some ground on the chapter after. So I hope I'll be able to get it to you all! I'll do the disclaimer this time.

**Disclaimer****: **If I owned Legend of Zelda, then I wouldn't be here making a fanfic of my own game. This document might have been published somewhere and making money. Which it's not. So... I don't own LoZ...

**(A/N): **I based my descriptions on the Super Smash Bros. models.

**Formatting:**

(*) -time lapse or switch of PoV

_Italics_ -sounds or thoughts

**Bold underline** -Author notes or just the author goofing around

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

A young teenage boy stood under a large tree looking out at the horizon. The hill stood over a large plain, and the wind blew the long grass that made waves of green.

The boy shifted his sapphire gaze to the town in sight. Hyrule Town was quiet this time of year, and the last adventure happened many years before. Surely Hyrule will stay peaceful and quiet, as it was destined to be.

The blonde man smiled. At least the country was at peace and there were no more raids to worry about.

He strolled over to the ledge and jumped off, landing neatly and unscathed. He headed for the path, after looking back at the peaceful tall tree, and hoped that these days would last for much longer.

On the way to Hyrule Town, he saw the occasional familiar face and gave a smile and a wave to them as he walked past. He could not dwell further on these facts though.

He had work to do.

(*)

Now in Hyrule Town, a cloaked figure strolled through the main square. This silhouette happened to be Zelda with the black cape she had at hand. She is a princess after all; it's best not to attract attention. She walked slowly to an apple stand while hugging her cloak around her as to not reveal her features.

Suddenly, shouts and people crying out erupted in the distance. A big round shape appeared overhead soon after. The citizens of Hyrule Town looked up and either screamed in place, ran away in order to preserve their lives, or simply stood in shock.

It was a round monster that they could estimate to be a few stories high. It looked as if it had a painted clown's face in front that was intimidating. It rolled over buildings and crushed them beneath its weight.

Having nowhere to run because of the frightened citizens bumping into her here and there, she could only stand there and watch the destruction the monster is making.

With a cry she tripped on a fallen villager and fell to her hands and knees. In time, she saw a wood beam slowly coming to crush her in its descent.

The princess felt someone grab her and pull her safely out of the way. The beam landed harmlessly next to her.

She lifted her head up to meet the gaze of a Hylian with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Under her hood, she looked up at him with silver blue eyes and whispered, "Thank you," before standing up and walking in the direction of the monster. The princess had to do something. Who else would?

Link sat there in surprise. That glimpse under that hood of those silver-blue eyes told him one thing: That he had saved the life of Princess Zelda of Hyrule.

Zelda pulled down her hood to show her copper brunette hair and her golden headpiece for all to see.

The citizens who were all panicking stopped to see that the Princess was there in the open. What could she do to stop this monster?

She looked up at the gigantic menace. She couldn't see its features well but what could be seen were the features of a very round clown. The sharp grin on its face and the white paint gave it away.

It too stopped its terrorizing to stare at the girl, its foolish grin and cocky glint in its eyes seeming to mock her.

She put her hands together and willed a fire into being, spreading her hands slowly apart until it was a large ball of fire. She seized control and directed its fast course into the clown with a grunt of effort.

It did a lot of damage. It rolled onto its round back with the force and large burn marks appeared on its chest.

But it would not be outdone yet. It rolled back onto its feet again and started to spin in place at impossible speeds that even picked up small debris from the ground.

Cautiously, the princess took a step back, afraid of what it would do.

Link wrenched his gaze away from the spinning wreck-in-progress to run to the princess's side and told her to get away from here.

Her sad gaze turned to him, shaking her head. "I cannot leave while there are people here. They need to be evacuated."

He nodded in understanding and ran over to the villagers caught in debris and wreckage. Those that were free were long gone.

Thankfully a few guards came to help. One by one, they swiftly rescued the people from the destruction that is to come.

Now unburdened with the safety of everyone else, Link and the remaining guards ran to Zelda suggesting she get away now.

She took a wary glance at the clown but agreed to escape with them.

They were losing time. It was building up even more speed and power.

Link was not a hero, (not yet anyway), but he felt a strong urge to protect the princess from harm. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But he didn't quite know what to do; he couldn't do much as far as he could tell. Looking down at his garb, he saw his plain white tunic, brown leather pants, and his soft brown boots. He didn't even look like one.

They all heard a _SNAP_-like noise behind them, like an arrow released from a bowstring.

That was not a good sound.

They heard the sound of something huge rolling their way beyond the tall roofs of houses and shops. This encouraged them to run a tad faster toward the silhouette of the castle beyond.

It was too late. The group of knights, the princess, and Link turned just in time to see a ball speed toward them.

Zelda turned around quickly; dress swirling around artistically in the spur of the moment. She held up her arm and swung it diagonally and created sapphire crystals surrounding each of the group. They crouched down instinctively with their hands protecting their heads as the crash came.

Nayru's Love had succeeded. None of them were blown away.

The clown ball rolled away and skidded to a stop away from them since its attack had missed. Zelda created golden bands around herself and teleported to right in front of the monster. She created a green wisp of energy in the palm of her hand and held it out as the knights arrived at her side with their swords drawn.

She narrowed her eyes at the creature and announced, "You shall regret treading upon Hyrule as if it was your own. Now disappear from existence!" and sent the wisp of light at it. It screeched and disappeared as it was engulfed in emerald flames.

Exhausted, the princess crumpled to the ground. The knights hurriedly went to support her. She weakly stood up with their assistance and looked behind her shoulder at Link. She managed a weak smile at him and they headed off to the castle without him.

Link could hardly believe the events of the day. Years of peace… Gone. And a new enemy was on its way, he knew it.

Even as the dark clouds retreated, and the shadows of people came out from hiding and stared at their houses in misery, the destiny of another was born.

A Hero of Hyrule needed to show himself.


	3. Chapter 2

**Kisuke: **Welcome back, to all of you that kept on reading! Man, formatting on here is hard 0.o Well, onto the disclaimer! Sheik, do the honors!  
><strong><strong><br>Sheik**: ******If Kisuke owned LoZ, perhaps I would have convinced her into making me a more comfortable disguise...

**Kisuke: **It looks cool though.

**Sheik: **True, true...

**(A/N)**: My main character descriptions are based on the Super Smash Bros. models.

**Formatting: **

(*) -time lapse or change of PoV __

_Italics _-sounds or thoughts

**Bold underline** -Author notes or author messing around

***** -Author note at end of chapter

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter<strong> **2**

Link stared off at the destruction of the town and cringed even more as he got closer. Many grieved at the loss of their homes. And many more suffered from injuries, not all of them physical.

He stopped to stare at a crushed stand which used to have a cart of apples. To think that a monster such as this could be so strong…

He kicked a half crushed apple, which didn't roll far.

Sighing, he set himself to do something more productive.

He turned to the path where the monster had taken. A dirt path was carved into the cobblestone road. Well, what was left of it. When he craned his neck it led past the buildings and out of town.

As far as he could tell, it wouldn't be smart to investigate without a weapon at hand. If a giant boss of a monster came, surely it wouldn't be alone.

(*)

A sunset came over the horizon and blinded the young Hylian and made him shadow his eyes with his arm.

Finding a functional armor and weapons shop in this mess wasn't easy. Especially since there are many alleys and quick turns here. Link may have spent all of these seventeen years as a leather worker living in Hyrule Town, but he never could get used to the maze-like city.

Finally he arrived at an armor shop called Swords and Shinks and entered through its wooden door.

What greeted the boy was a large room with a counter at the far end with armor, swords, shields, and many other weapons. Behind the counter was a muscular man with a beard.

He looked up at him and grinned. "Come in, my boy! Come in! Take a look around."

It was as if this whole shop, including the shopkeeper, was untouched by today's events. Link shrugged it off and smiled at the man and nodded.

He looked at the prices of the items on sale.

What caught his eye were a sword with a basic leather handle and a wooden shield with a red painted design on it. The sword was worth 100 rupees while the shield was only worth 40.

He frowned. Both items together nearly cost him 150 rupees. Leather-working may be an all right job, but it wasn't the most profiting job either. It was nearly one-third of the pay he gets.

But…

He couldn't wrench his gaze away from them. It was as if he longed for them. No, they for him.

He pointed out the items to the shopkeeper and stopped shortly at his small home to get supplies. Then he strolled down the path with determination in his eyes.

Reaching the edge of Hyrule Town, he stepped through a large archway that looked old and had pieces broken off. Looking through it showed that the path led toward the Lost Woods that nobody dared go near, even if the monsters had seemed to vanish. He took a deep breath and gathered up his courage before setting onward.

(*)

All that was left of the light faded below the tree canopy. Link lit a lantern before traveling any farther; this was a bad omen.

He held his lantern high and searched here and there to look for the connecting path. He saw it and continued nearly blindly. He could only see a few meters around himself which made him slightly paranoid.

Looking at the surrounding terrain suggested this forest remained generally undisturbed by the people of Hyrule for centuries. Its trees remained tall and not many stumps showing themselves in the dense undergrowth. Shadows danced with the light of the lantern, lurking behind obstacles of trees and making illusions of shapes.

Suddenly, the ground below him disappeared and left him with nothing but air. He cried out before he grasped the ledge of solid ground.

He grasped the ledge with one arm strongly and threw his source of light onto the surface with the other. Then he lifted himself onto solid ground to catch his breath once again.

The swordsman cautiously stepped up to the edge and lifted his lamp up high. The hole was very large in size.

As large as the monster from earlier today.

As the figure called Link looked down the hole, the shadows shifted in the trees. A flicker of the light, nothing more.

Link had a mask of determination on his face. He picked up a nearby stone from the ground and tossed it into the pit. It took a little to make a sound so it wasn't far. However, a fall down there would certainly be painful.

He gasped as he felt something push him from behind and lost his footing. With utter shock on his face, he looked over his shoulder just in time to get a glimpse of a dark figure with glowing red eyes and what looked like a hat before being absorbed into the dark pit awaiting him.

(*)

Link grunted in pain as he collided with the hard underground floor on his side.

He stayed there for a second for the pain to subside a little. His upper left arm took most of the impact, which concerned him since it was his dominant. He then slowly lifted himself up with his right and winced when his left got moved in the process.

The blonde Hylian surveyed his surroundings. The lantern lit a few meters around him, which gave him a sense that he was in an underground tunnel that split three ways: up, left, and curving right.

Speaking of the lantern, it sat on its side and the glass appeared a little cracked. Strangely enough it didn't break on impact.

He sighed and picked it up carefully and hooked it to his belt. Then he started to set off toward the tunnel to the right while still holding his left arm gingerly.

_Du dah du du… _

Link stopped cold and drew his sword, wincing as this jarred his injured arm. He set his shield in position and stayed vigil over the looming shadows.

_Fu fu fu, fu fu fu, fu fa fu furu, fu fa fuahu… _*****_  
><em>

It seemed like the sound of something playing a horn. But the first didn't sound like a horn, more like a harp…

He took a step back. He couldn't go that way. Most likely the source wasn't friendly. This was the Lost Woods, where many travelers have gotten lost and have died of starvation.

Or picked off by monsters.

He turned around and continued on to the other tunnel. His instincts… no, his GUT told him he shouldn't go that way.

He clenched his fist so tight it hurt. The knight in the making came all the way out here out of sheer will in order to investigate what was happening when he barely knew how to use a sword, and he was going to chicken out of it.

His gaze hardened and he did a 180 and marched toward the opening of the tunnel. His hands clenched tightly at his sides.

Memories flickered past his vision that only he could see. Of Zelda's weak but warm smile that revealed itself to him as she was taken away. Of the mourning citizens that had lost their homes because of the recklessness of a monster.

Of how he sat there while Zelda fought it off while he only stood there and watched.

He charged down the tunnel toward the song in the forest. Determination numbed his arm so that it was only a dull throb.

He emerged from the tunnel and slowed to a stop to look at his surroundings. Now the man was in a large room with torches lit on the walls and a large tree in the center. There was also a large light coming from behind it.

Link noticed something: the music had stopped, and it was deathly quiet.

Gripping his sword handle hard, which was shaking ever so slightly, he slowly walked toward the source of light. His other hand gripped his shield tighter and higher.

He reached the tree and pressed himself against it. The Hylian took a deep breath and looked around the corner of the trunk.

And what he saw made him freeze in shock and horror.

There was a large poe sitting against the tree holding a large lantern. It also had a vest and a giant mask on its face that made him resemble a pig.

Link could only stand there; he couldn't wrench his gaze away, or remove his feet from the spot. He had never heard of a poe this large in size; usually they were only as large as a person. But this one was monstrous in size, about as large as the clown monster from today.

He tried to slowly step away from the tree's trunk, but the poe heard him step on a leaf. It perked up and looked around the tree to see the Hylian boy with a sword and shield.

The ghost gave Link a creepy grin and stepped forward.

Link took a responding step back.

Then the poe tripped on purpose and was falling down on top of him. He gasped and raised his shield up high as a last thought of protection before the collision came.

(*)

Darkness.

That was the first thing the hero saw when he came to. He saw that he was laying face-down on the ground and shakily got up on all fours.

Everything was black, including the ground beneath. But when he looked down at his hands, he could see them perfectly fine. Perhaps he was alone in a void.

_Chatter._

No, he was not alone. He turned around to see the same mask that belonged to the poe from earlier. It clattered its teeth together one instant. It loomed over him and laughed at him evilly the next. Then it zoomed and crashed into him.

"Ah!" Link cried out, landing on his back a few meters away.

Link merely lay there for a second, waiting for the mysterious mask to hit him again. But it didn't come. He grunted and sat up. Realization dawned that he was back in the room where he had been and saw that the mask had disappeared. He stood up and was about to search for his discarded sword and shield.

_Zing!_

He gasped and held the sides of his head. Suddenly a headache had sprouted, and it felt as if it was strong enough to crush his skull!

The pain was so intense that his eyes watered and closed as he crumpled to his knees. The mask, which was smaller now, chattered right above his head and laughed.

A scream rang through the night, ringing for miles.

* * *

><p><strong>* <strong>-This tune is based off the Sacred Grove soundtrack from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The first is part of the soundtrack itself, and the second is Skull Kid actually playing the trumpet. I don't know exactly what instruments were used for the song, so I just wrote what came to mind X'D (tone-deaf author!)

**Kisuke: **I say that this is my best chapter so far. Sorry, though, Link! The end scene is only a plot device!

**Link: **:'(

**Kisuke: **For the next chapters, once I get reviews, I shall do my best to answer questions or reply to suggestions that you guys make. I will accept your opinion, may it be good or bad! Constructive criticism is welcome, and advice is accepted ^_^


	4. Chapter 3

**Kisuke****: **Hey, I'm back with a new chapter! This one will be more specific on the plot and it's full of explaining, so get ready to sit down and absorb some information.

**What Link's Probably Thinking: **What? No action?

**Kisuke****: **Hopefully this'll clear up the direction that I want to go with this. On with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Legend of Zelda. Credit belongs to the brilliant Shigeru Miyamoto and the company Nintendo. I am just a fan of the game that's making a story based off of it.

**Formatting: **

(*) -time lapse or switch of PoV

_Italics_ -sounds, thoughts, or something that sounds important

**Bold underline** -Author note or just the author goofing around

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Zelda gasped and sat up in her bed. She looked around her dark room and sighed. Another one of her dreams have woken her up again.

She got up and went to her window. The night was seemingly peaceful, and lights from houses lit beyond the castle. But the forests beyond were foreboding and dark.

She recalled her dream while leaning against the windowsill.

(*)

_Inside the Temple of Time, the room with the master sword was pitch black. A beam of light shown down upon the sword, and the blade gleamed pure white as it was foretold. _

_But the beam of light disappeared, and a violet flash appeared around the legendary sword. It then glowed violet, and the blade turned black. _

_A gloved hand grabbed it and laughed evilly. Red eyes and a wide evil grin appeared in the darkness and took one swipe of the dark sword. The image faded and disappeared._

_A purple flame lit and illuminated the scene. A tall woman held her hands on each side of the flames as if to protect it from something. _

_The woman looked up. What could be seen were a glimpse of a very pale face and glowing sinister yellow eyes. The rest of her was shadowed in darkness. _

"_The shadow realm has opened once again. The darkness is coming from this world to yours. And something was stolen from my clutches. This item is disrupting the balance between the two. _

"_Your world needs a champion of light to conquer the shadow of our hearts. Only then will things be resolved. Princess, find this champion and do your duty once more!" She spread her arms apart and the flame exploded into a violet light! _

(*)_  
><em>

That was when Zelda woke up.

_This was no normal dream, _Zelda mused to herself. _I believe this is another vision, like what happened to my ancestor so long ago…_

Her hand instinctively rose to her temple, but she lowered it as her gaze hardened and thought to herself what she must do.

_A champion of light…_

Her thoughts wandered to the Hylian in the market. She never did catch his name. But he unselfishly helped the citizens in the market and helped her get to safety. Yes, she would investigate him further.

She instinctively looked at her door while thinking of her father. He wouldn't permit her to go outside the castle. In his eyes, the world was too dangerous and she would get herself into trouble. But this was something she had to do. Not some knight in her place.

The princess went to her closet and opened it. She pushed her gowns and dresses on the rack aside to reveal a small crate at the bottom. She opened it up and pulled out a blue jumpsuit.

Yes, this was something only she CAN do.

(*)

Link awoke on the ground in the Lost Woods. He weakly sat up and rubbed his head. A dull throb had formed in his head and it wouldn't go away.

He tried to shakily get to his feet, but his legs were making things difficult. They were like noodles instead of limbs. He used his sword for support as he looked around the area.

His lantern was intact thankfully. It was still clipped to his side but a new large crack was formed in the glass.

Now to find a way out. The young Hylian made his way slowly to one of the tunnels. No threat could be seen (or heard) and it was still as dark as it was earlier.

Link cried out as he tripped over something and landed face down. He got up slowly and looked around before searching behind him. He found something big and hard, so he picked it up and examined it with his lantern.

It was a very large and intricate lantern with a loop handle. The glass was misted and no light was inside. The metal top and borders were pitch black. Link struggled to hold it up; it was heavy as well.

A flame started inside, startling him into dropping it and jumping back. It sat on the ground for a second, and then it lifted into the air and the flame inside turned violet. A small figure faded into existence and grabbed the handle in the air with their left hand.

Link gasped and tripped over his own feet. His own lantern cracked and broke on impact, leaving the flame to slowly die.

"Hey, bean sprout! Don't waste a perfectly good flame!"

A small figure floated in the air holding the new lantern. A hood was drawn over the face, and long blonde hair flowed out from it. A tattered faded purple dress drifted in the wind from time to time. And green menacing eyes glared out at him. They seemed to flicker gold from time to time.

It went over to the sizzling flame and opened its own lantern. The flame was absorbed into it, making the fire flicker orange for a second then going back to its violet state once more. The ghost snapped it closed again.

Link only sat there, stunned.

"Hey, you hear me? Dumb mortals…" She pulled her hood back a little, revealing a pale face with two tattoos under her eyes.

She floated in front of him and twirled her lantern in the air. "Not gonna hurt you, pip squeak. What's a little mouse like you doing all the way out here, hmmm?"

He seemed to calm a little at that and told her his name and his current situation.

"Link, huh?" She turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "That name makes me think of a tooth pick." She twirled around to face him again and smiled. "Guess what? You need my help."

He gave her a confused look.

"That giant poe, he's not quite normal. You just got possessed by the King of Poes, Jalhalla. Congratulations. You're in quite a pinch."

The Hyrulian's face turned into one of concern.

"Don't worry. Hey, you got some weapons there," she pointed to his sword and shield. "Those won't hold up to what we'll need.

"Listen up, this can be mutually beneficial. You want to save a kingdom? I want a certain item, and it's gonna be hard to get. You could say it's a weapon, though it can be used for important things like balance and such. For example, maintaining balance between the light and dark world?"

Link frowned at this, slightly puzzled.

"It's called the Shadow Scythe. It's the same thing that's causing chaos right now, and letting monsters into your world. It'll be the key that helps us or breaks us. But I heard it was broken into some pieces, and we need to put it back together. But they're pretty well hidden and I can probably find them on my own, but I can't get the pieces by myself. So what d'ya say about joining me?"

She loosely swung her lantern back and forth. "You're not very big or mighty looking, but you have determination in your eyes. And that's what I call potential."

She was right. His eyes hardened in set and stubborn determination. He wouldn't let the people he loved get hurt again. He nodded at her in approval.

The poe grinned. "Good, good… Now let's get out of this depressing setting, shall we?"

The tunnel was bathed in violet flames, and the two disappeared.

(*)

Two figures appeared in Hyrule Field. A full moon shone overhead and cast a gentle light over the hills.

"I never did tell you my name, did I? It's Shaedna." She held her small hand out in a welcoming gesture. A little surprised, Link returned the gesture with his much bigger hand. "We need to get you a better sword."

She paused to think for a second, fiddling with the handle of her lantern.

He sighed, tapped his feet on the ground, and stretched his aching muscles. The teen looked over his shoulder and saw that Hyrule Town wasn't far off.

Shaedna turned to him. "We are combating the shadows of the Dark Realm. Maybe there's a way to get that Master Sword that you mortals used before."

"_The chamber will not open."_

Link jumped and turned around to see the new appearance. A figure stood at the edge of the trees and fingered an instrument of some sort.

"I suppose you are an important person? You don't seem frightened by seeing me," the Poe smiled, amused.

He fingered his instrument (a lyre) absentmindedly for a few seconds before stepping out of the shadows to be more in view.

The man wore an intricate blue jumpsuit bearing the eye of the Sheikah. Long blonde hair was bound in a braid. His face was hidden except for one piercing scarlet eye.

His gaze wandered to the ghost for a moment. "The master sword is too risky to use at this point in time. The king of all poes, Jalhalla, resides in you. I do not think you are able to get to the chamber, and even if you were with your pure heart and soul, we cannot risk the sword getting corrupted by its presence or lost in the hands of another…

"There is another sword out there, however." The Sheikah turned to face the mountain in view over the horizon. Link and Shaedna followed his gaze. "There is a sword smith there that is rumored to have made a powerful sword that does even more damage than the master sword. However, it does not have the power to repel darkness like the Blade of Evil's Bane."

He turned to them once more. "This problem can be solved. You must find the three Great Fairies of Power, Wisdom, and Courage and gain their blessings. The sword will then be strong enough to combat the Shadow."

Shaedna narrowed her eyes at the man. Her eyes turned a fierce gold.* "How do we know that we can trust you? And who are you, exactly?"

The man closed his eyes and played a short signature tune on his lyre before half opening his eyes and responding. "I am Sheik, an outcast and survivor of the Sheikah. I am a memory from the past… A traveling minstrel…" He paused and plucked another string on his instrument, lost in thought. "…nothing more."

"Do you know who this shadow is?" She still looked doubtful but kept her thoughts to herself.

"I do not. But I sense strong, vengeful, and forlorn feelings and auras coming from the Shadow Temple."

"And do you know where we should start after we get the sword?"

"The fairies have hidden themselves. You must vanquish the darkness that appears and free the fairies. Find the source and get to each of the leaders in the area. That is the only way."

"And once we get there?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Kill it."

She _humphed_ at him and crossed her arms. "Easy for you to say."

"You'll know how once you are there. Search for the blade at Death Mountain. I do not know the name, but a goron is the one who forged it."

Link nodded in response.

"Is that all we need to know?" Shaedna asked.

Sheik nodded his head. "The fairies would probably be more than happy to guide you further." He started to step back in the shadows before jumping onto the branch of a tree and turned his back to them.

Link stretched out his hand and cried out in alarm.

The Sheikah turned his head slightly to acknowledge them. "One last thing. A gift, so that the Great Fairies will recognize you for who you are." He tossed something over his shoulder into a startled Link's outstretched arms.

"_Good luck… Link…" _The man shot one last piercing gaze at Shaedna before disappearing into the forest.

Link looked down at the package in his arms that was tightly tied with a string and hefted it. It was only slightly heavy.

The poe turned and started to float in the direction of Death Mountain. "Well, we better get started on getting that sword. Time's a wastin'."

A loud yawn sounded behind her.

"Awww, don't tell me you're tired! Mortals are just so lazy these days!"

He gave her a sheepish grin.

She turned around and shoved her lantern into his arms. She also unlatched the lantern door. "I'll just hide in my lantern until you're ready to head out then. Go rest up. And get up early, or I'll make you!" At that last statement she shook her fist at him before dissolving in flames and getting sucked into the lamp. The latch closed shut with a _SNAP._

Link sighed and tied it to his belt before trekking back to Hyrule to get some much-needed sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>*<strong> -A poe's eye color can change based on whether they're going to attack or not. Green is friendly, yellow is the possibility of an attack, and red is that they're hostile and attacking.

**Kisuke:** Link finally gets his partner in crime! And our favorite character Sheik appears to explain it all! I had to take a little more time because of certain things happening, but I thought to myself that I might as well get this chapter done to clear stuff up. But before I post another chapter to get Link on the road, I need reviews! Suggestions, encouragement, some raging, something to show that this is being read XP

**Sheik: **Hmm, starting to wonder...

**Kisuke: **Well, I would like to hear my readers' opinions on some cool things that you might like to be seen, like dungeons, bosses, side quests, you name it! I haven't really thought up many things as of yet, so I'm free to consider any ideas that you guys may think of :) I'll be aiming for about 5 reviews, and in return I'll try to get you guys another chapter if you think this is worth continuing!


	5. Chapter 4

**Kisuke****: **Hey, I'm back! And with a long chapter! Sorry I waited SOO long to update, I had other works I needed to finish, and school, and all that. Not much of an excuse, is it? Took me a long time to write this chapter, and I didn't have someone else help me edit this time. It was taking too long and I thought I'd get the updating over with once and for all. Much longer than my other chappies, 3,600 words not including author note! Usually they range to about 2,000.

**Sheik****: **It's about time, we all thought you died in a river.

**Kisuke****: **Sorry about that. Disclaimer!

**Disclaimer****: **Teru Kisuke does not own LoZ, whether it be OoT, TP, all the other games from Nintendo, those cool comics made afterwards, cartoon series, artwork (wait, artwork?), and / or other products. It all came from the mind of Shigeru Miyamoto and not hers. No profit is gained except for fun and entertainment.

**Formatting****: **

(*) -time lapse or change of PoV

_italics _-thoughts, flashback, or something important

** Bold underline** -author note or author messing around

* -note at end of chapter

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

_Link…_

Link was lying fast asleep on his cot and he was out cold.

_Hey, Link…_

He shifted positions absentmindedly.

"GET UP YOU IDIOT!"

Startled, he fell out of his bed and landed on a heap on the wooden floor. He warily looked up from the top of the side to find Shaedna with her eyes glowing red.

"I'M NOT GONNA TOLERATE SOME LAZY BUM ON THIS JOURNEY! NOW GET READY! NEXT TIME YOU SLEEP IN I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO ASH!" She let her temper drive on for a good few minutes before she slowly returned to her green state. "Huff… Go get ready…"

Link's hair stood on end and he was gripping the edge of his bed tightly. He'd rather face Ganondorf than go through THAT again.

He sleepily got up and looked around his small one-person condo. It was scattered with tools, maps, and leather scraps everywhere. A brief memory recalled a request for full leather hunting attire. He would have to clean up the mess later. (Although it irked him to look at it; he considered himself a very tidy person.)

His attention was grabbed by the bundle on his nightstand. He picked it up and took off the string to open the package.

He held it up and something dropped to the floor. It was a green hat. The rest of it that he was holding up was a green tunic. It looked a little worn and used.

He held it up to himself. It was a little too long on him, reaching halfway to his knees.

He shrugged and decided to wear it.

He finally strapped on his sword and shield so that he was ready to go. He tapped the glass of Shaedna's lantern to show that he was ready.

She appeared in a cloud of flames. "Are you finally ready to go?" The poe noticed his garb. "So that's what was in that thing. A minor improvement; congratulations, you now remind me of a grasshopper!"

He narrowed his eyes at her and his eyebrow twitched.

"Let's go, grasshopper!" She summoned up a ring of fire and they once again vanished.

(*)

The two once again appeared in Hyrule field. He huffed at her, as if to say, "Stop doing that!"

She held up her hands in the air. "Can't be helped. Your mortal legs are slow."

He started to trudge off in the direction that he was supposed to go.

"_GET AWAY FROM ME, MONSTERS!"_

He gasped and turned around while drawing his sword. Shaedna swiftly moved to her lantern and he caught it and expertly attached it to his belt in the spur of the moment.

A girl was running from two Stalfos that were chasing her. Each held a scimitar and a shield.

"Get back! I'm skilled in exorcism!" She moved her hands in the air for a few seconds while still running and pointed at them. A small blue orb went to hit them, but it merely bounced off.

"Huh? I thought for sure it'd hit…"

Link decided to intervene. He held up his shield and skidded to a stop in front of the two skeletons to stop them from running. He bashed one with his shield and brought his sword down on the other. It brought up its shield easily and deflected it.

The Hylian jumped back and considered the two. Then he jumped forward and brought his sword overhead and cracked the first one's skull. The other one, meanwhile, bashed its shield into him and forced him to back off.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead before preparing to advance again.

"_Wait, you idiot!"_ Shaedna whispered. He saw a small little flame floating next to his shoulder. _"Let them attack first and wait for an opening."_

He nodded and held up his shield. For now he would stay on the defensive.

Opportunity showed itself. The second one did a jumping slice at the hero. He easily blocked it and hit the skeletal soldier in the ribs. It crumpled and faded to ash.

The remaining charged at him. Link prepared himself by bending his knees and holding his blade horizontally.

The Stalfos raised its blade and momentarily lowered his shield.

Link let out a battle cry and charged forward with his head lowered. His sword sparked and slashed through the air.

He fell to one knee while still holding his sword out. The Stallord behind him crumpled to ash and was carried by the wind.

"_Not too shabby,"_ Shaedna whispered from the flame that was apparently still there. _"Perhaps there's some hope in you after all."_ With that, the fire died.

He heard clapping behind him. "That was so awesome!"

The Hylian remembered the girl and turned around to face her.

The girl had dark hair pulled into a ponytail. She wore purple robe with long sleeves and a white robe reaching to her knees underneath with wooden clogs on her feet. A dark purple and red sash bearing the Triforce was around her waist. The girl looked pretty much Link's age.

Something was strapped to her back; it was a coffin-shaped crate and had a staff coming from it. A poe lantern (one that looks VERY similar to Shaedna's) hung from a ring at the staff's end. Looks like one was trapped inside; there were metal chains surrounding the lantern's middle and a warding talisman was tied to the chains.

Interestingly, one of her eyes was blue and the other was red.

She puffed her chest out confidently. "I could've taken care of them though. I'm training to be a ghost hunter! The best of the best!"

Link regarded her with interest.

"My grandpa was a famous poe hunter. He was able to catch the big ones!" She punched her fist in the air. "I'm gonna get better than even him! I've already learned the basics in sealing and combat, not to mention I just got my first poe last week…" She must be talking about the poe hanging from the staff on her back.

She rambled on further about how her family was in the poe hunting business and inheritance. Link smiled politely at her as she went on.

"…There have been a lot more cases sprouting up. I'm supposed to head to Death Mountain now. Something about a ghost haunting a rusty sword."

Link perked up and leaned closer to hear more.

She beamed, glad that she caught his interest. "Poes have been popping up more in the past week. It's chaos in Hyrule right now. Death Mountain only has one request, though. I wonder why…" The ghost hunter thoughtfully placed a finger on her chin.

Link looked into the distance at Death Mountain. A dark and cloudy ring had settled around the mountain peak.

"Oh, how rude of me! I'm blabbering on and on and I haven't even mentioned my name yet!" She held out her hand. "I'm Selma Trinity. Nice to meet you! So what's yours?"

She paused for a second for him to answer. "…Link? Hey, my grandfather spoke of a famous Link long ago… You have a nice name." She hooked her arm with his and literally dragged him toward Death Mountain. He was caught by surprise and stumbled to get his footing. "We should head to the mountain together! I don't want to run into those mean sack of bones again!"

He tried to get out of her grip before sighing. This was where he was supposed to go, wasn't it? (Eventually he got out of her grip and merely walked quietly beside her.)

(*)

The two (well, three) reached the foot of the mountain trail. Selma clasped her hands together since she was glad to have made it before dawn. And the green-clad warrior Link was tired and was filled with cuts and bruises next to her. Multiple burn marks had appeared on his face and hands, and some of the ends of his bangs were singed. He was currently holding his knees and getting his breath back.

The trip through Hyrule Field didn't go so well. It was filled with monsters like Stalfos and Flying Bubbles. Even a Big Poe had appeared once (much to the excitement to Selma) but it almost immediately disappeared with a cackle.

Selma wasn't as capable to protect herself against monsters as he was, so he had to protect them himself. This ended up in much beating on his part and much cackles and laughter from the Stalfos. The Flying Bubbles were even worse; he found that the fire around them was like a shield and whacking them only succeeded in jarring his arm. Much shouting from Shaedna taught him to wait for the fire to dissipate before hitting them.

The novice swordsman, as a result, was tired and miserable. Luckily they had reached the town of Kakariko and restocked supplies.

The cheerful ghost hunter twirled around on one foot before turning to face Link. "We should get up there before it gets dark."

He sighed at her but still agreed it's the right thing to do. Although his limbs didn't.

He heard a kind of flopping sound from ahead. They both stopped and searched for where it was coming from.

Link noticed that there was a huge shadow looming over them.

"LINK! LOOK OUT!"

Link looked up just in time while raising his shield high over his head. The weight of a monster hit the shield and the wood made a warning sound from bending wood. The sudden weight only supported by one arm unbalanced him and he fell to the ground. Whatever pounced on him had jumped off and allowed him to roll out of the way. He turned to face his opponent.

It appeared to be a spider monster, with four bristly green legs and a red body. A red eye peered out at them.

Shaedna's mini flame appeared on his shoulder again. _"It's a Red Tektite. This is an easy one this time. Just slash it with your sword. Just be careful when it jumps."_

He nodded and thrust forward. The strike hit, pushing it back, but it swiftly recovered and jumped at him again. He hopped backward before it could land and did a jumping strike. The blade collided and it dissolved into a green vapor.

He stood up and looked at where the tektite used to be, appalled.

"_Well that was simple, wasn't it?" _Shaedna giggled before disappearing along with the flame. He sighed and sheathed his sword and shield again.

Selma looked up at the sky. "It's starting to get dark."

Link looked up as well. She was right; the sun was starting to set. The two of them headed up the trail once again.

They reached near the top of the mountain trail before they heard the rumbling of earth ahead of them. Link stopped at a corner in the rock surface and perked his ears. Selma turned the corner warily right before Link caught a glimpse of a rolling boulder coming their way.

The swordsman gasped and ran to Selma and pushed her out of the way and knocked the two to the ground. The boulder trailed past them for a second, kicking up dust and dirt, before screeching to a stop. It uncurled itself and seemed to stand up.

The ghost hunter rubbed her head and sat up. She looked around at the situation before saying, "Oh! Thank you, Link! You saved me!"

She smiled at the hero, who just nodded and scratched his head as if to say, "Oh, it was nothing!"

"Are you hurt, goro*?" came a voice near them.

Link turned to face the "boulder." It was a goron that was leaning over them. He had seen gorons before around Hyrule Town, often as merchants or travelers.

He looked over them for a second for injuries before standing straight and tall.

"I didn't realize there'd be humans* traveling up the mountain. My name's Bagoron. What are you doing so high up on the mountain, goro?"

Link told his situation again to Bagoron. Selma, who didn't hear his story when she had swamped him with her family history (or really heard him speak at all), leaned in to listen. He left out the part with Shaedna and his encounter with the large poe Jalhalla, so he really only mentioned why he needed a sword said to be in Death Mountain.

The goron crossed his arms. "You must be talking about the Biggoron Sword. You wouldn't want that thing though; it's cursed."

Link exchanged looks with Selma.

"Is that perhaps the sword I was sent to exorcize today?" she asked, shouldering her crate strap on her shoulder.

He stared at her in wonder. "You're the ghost hunter? You're a little young to be traveling on your own, goro."

"I can get the job done, though! I've done an exorcism before!" She puffed her chest out in pride.

Bagoron frowned slightly. "I'll have to trust your word."

Selma turned to Link. "Don't worry! I'll cleanse that old sword right up for ya!" she said excitedly.

His eyes widened before smiling at her and nodding.

Bagoron showed them up to Goron City. It was a huge spire of rock with shelters built into the earthen ledges and shelves. The sky was its roof, as it seemed to have no end upward from where they were standing. Many tunnels were carved into the earth and many gorons strolled or rolled freely through them.

The sun was beginning to set, casting an even redder shade over the brown rock of the hollow. They went through several tunnels, getting hearty greetings from other goron people as they walked by. They soon reached a large clearing with several muscular gorons grouped together. They seemed to be discussing something urgent.

Bagoron caught their attention. The group turned to look at the trio. One stepped forward with his hands at his hips while looking the two travelers over.

"Greetings, travelers. I am Darunia, leader of this tribe. What business may you have here?"

Selma explained for Link. "I am the ghost hunter sent to cleanse a sword here of an evil spirit, Selma Trinity. This is Link; he helped me get across Hyrule Field. He needs the sword as well on his journey. Can you show us to where the sword is?"

Darunia took the information in before stating, "Look no further. It's right here in this clearing." He crossed his arms and stepped aside so they could see.

There was a blade stuck in the ground between the few gorons surrounding it. It was a broadsword, with a blue hilt and a gold circular plate with an engraving. The blade was beautiful blue-tinted silver and each side of the blade seemed perfectly sharp. The gorons must have done a wonderful job preserving it.

Darunia noticed Link admiring the sword and chuckled. "The Biggoron Sword has a famous history among us. There used to be a giant goron named Biggoron and he was a fantastic blacksmith back in the day. With a past hero's help, he re-forged a broken sword and passed it to him to aid him on his journey. It's said to never break.

"After his journey, the hero then returned the sword to our tribe. Biggoron moved away from Death Mountain for some reason and his whereabouts were unknown." He turned to Link and smiled. "That same hero is known as the Hero of Time."

Link's eyes widened a bit. He had heard of the Hero of Time. He was the one who defeated Ganondorf, the Gerudo King.

The goron leader turned to face the sword again with his arms still crossed. "You can have it once the evil presence is gone. I doubt any of us will want to see this sword for a while."

The swordsman turned again to the sword. He noticed a poe lantern sat on the ground next to it. The sword gave off a sinister aura.

While the two of them were talking, Selma had gone up to examine it. She was careful not to touch the lantern or the sword. If she were to get close, then flames would come up and burn her. She made a quick observation before turning to Darunia. "Is there somewhere I can get my supplies ready in private?"

He looked strangely at her but still said, "Yes, of course. This way."

Darunia showed her to a spare room somewhere. They waited outside after in the clearing waiting for her to arrive. Dusk soon fell and enshrouded them in darkness.

Link heard footsteps from behind him. He turned his head to look.

A cloaked figure stood there with a hood over their face. A red glowing eye shown from under the hood, which made him shiver. They held a long wooden staff in their hand. He noticed that multiple bottles were tied around their waist.

He quickly realized that it was Selma.

Her visible scarlet eye wandered to him for a second before silently stepping up to the sword. "I need everyone to stand back," she calmly said. It was as if she was a different person. Everyone complied and nervously stood back.

The ghost hunter stood before the cursed sword and muttered to herself. "Usually a poe would appear long before you even got close to their lantern." With a quick motion she tapped it with her staff.

Tapping it got a reaction. She was blown back and landed on her back a few feet away. Link ran to her side to make sure she was okay. She merely brushed it aside while rubbing her back.

The poe had surfaced and floated above the sword. It aroused gasps from the gorons surrounding, and the poe seemed to glare and cackle at each one. It was just a regular poe with a white hood and torn purple robe.

Trinity caught its attention with a wave of her staff. It cackled and charged at her, swinging its lantern around madly with its eyes red. Selma's visible eye widened a little as if afraid she wouldn't be able to dodge it.

Link jumped in front of her with his shield raised so it would take the brunt of the blow. The shield made a small cracking noise and the blow pushed him back a little. Neither of them was hurt, however.

The ghost hunter charged up an attack while it was distracted. She sent a small blue orb at it and it seemed to hurt and knock it back with a screech. It recovered and became more wary of the two in its circling.

She hit her staff on the ground and moved her hands as if casting a spell. Then she tapped her staff on the ground again and chains sprouted up from the ground. They encircled the poe and restrained it as it cried out.

"Link! Hit it with your sword!" she urgently cried out to him.

Shocked to be called upon for a second, he shook his head and raised his sword. The blade hit the ghost and it cried out in agony before fading and dropping its lantern. It shattered into a million pieces on the ground and out came its fiery soul. It seemed to be sulking with a melancholy expression.

Selma hurriedly stepped forward and absorbed its soul into a bottle. It let out a small shriek after it was sucked in. Link frowned and imagined Shaedna being defeated and sucked into a bottle. He shook that thought away and turned to Darunia as he approached.

"Very well done! Such an impressive show! The sword is cleansed now?"

She turned her head to look at the sword. "Yeah. It doesn't have an evil presence anymore."

He clapped them both on the back a good one that made them stumble. "The sword is yours now! Take it and take care of it!"

Bagoron came up to the swordsman as well. "Since you're going to be using Biggoron's sword now, want me to take your sword and shield off your hands, goro?"

Link looked down at his sword and shield and gasped. His wooden shield had a huge dent and was in danger of cracking. The wood was cracked and splintered in some areas. His sword also had some nicks in the blade as well. He unstrapped his shield and gave both of them to him.

"The sword can be repaired and upgraded, but the shield can't be saved," the goron thought to himself thoughtfully. He grinned at Link and gave him thumbs up.

He nodded at him with a smile before walking up to the two-hander sword. He grabbed the hilt with both hands, braced himself by bending his knees, and lifted upward. It slowly dragged against the rock and struggled to be drawn out. Link's forehead dripped with perspiration as he strained to get it out of the hard rock. It finally drew free and he stumbled away with the sudden weight.

He held up the sword and admired it. It was heavy enough that he had to use both hands to support it, but not so heavy that he was struggling to hold it up.

"I'll have a sheathe made for you. Bagoron happens to be a skilled blacksmith," Darunia assured him. He turned so that he was facing both of the teens. "What payment do you two think you should get in exchange?"

Selma exchanged looks with Link. "I figure the sword and some lodging is enough. And man I'm hungry!" She resumed her cheerful personality.

The goron leader turned to Link again and grinned. "As a bonus, how about we give you the famous goron hug!"

He warily stepped back at the mention of that. One look at a goron's huge muscles foretold a fatal bear hug. He shook his head wildly along with his hands while stepping away.

A scream and a crack rang through the night.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Kisuke<span>: **Took me a long time to make this. So how do you like my OC? Good? Bad? Awesome? Evil? I had to sketch out what she was wearing to picture her properly. I thought a ghost hunter would be pretty cool because of the OoT NPC. We really don't know much about them, so I'm making some things up as I go along.

**Shaedna: **You make them look like Japanese monks. Even I could do better in character designing.

**Kisuke: **Shut up, I brought you into this world and I can take you out :)

**Shaedna**: ****0.o

**Kisuke: **That's it for now, I'll do my best to update again! You didn't think I'd wait for just those five reviews? I'm posting these anyway. But they would be nice. If I get one, I'll be chucking these out sooner :P I hope you all read on further!


	6. Chapter 5

**Kisuke: **Hello everyone! Finally back with another chapter! Took a little over a month, I'm getting so busy... It's all so suspenseful isn't it? Who's the bad guy? What're they gonna do next? When is Kisuke gonna upload the new chapter?

**Sheik: **I think the last one is the worst.

**Kisuke: **Ugh I know. So I'm both kinda eh about this chapter. The beginning's slow but it gets better. Well, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **We do not own Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in it. As much as Teru Kisuke is kicking the disclaimer and trying to lie, we are not part of Nintendo or have consent from Shigeru Miyamoto himself to actually publish these works out into the world.

**Kisuke: **I wonder why it keeps saying 'we'... I'm not a corporation or anything. Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Link and Selma reached Kakariko again that next morning. The sun peeked over the hills and the cuckoos were chirping up a storm. Early risers started on their work in the small town, although half was still asleep.

Many of the buildings sat on hills and platforms and were no more than two stories. A windmill spun with the wind near the back of the town and seemed to carry the beacon of homeliness.

The two travelers stepped past a pair of sleeping guards and down some stone steps. Link shouldered his two-handed sword on his back, which seemed to add a new weight on his shoulders. Selma was doing fine with the crate on her shoulders. Link didn't know how she was able to carry around a crate the size of a child and the weight of an adult with just one shoulder strap. Perhaps the rumors were true and ghost hunters are superhuman. He shooed the theory away with a shake of his head.

"Let's stop by the tavern, Link! I'm dying for one of Lucy's sandwiches right now!" She pumped one of her fists in the air to show her excitement.

Lucy was the bartender of a nice tavern in the small town of Kakariko Village. Link and Selma had stopped by there for food the other day and met the woman. Her sandwiches were to die for and her brew was killer.

His stomach growled at the thought of a sandwich and he blushed. She only laughed it off as they both reached the short wooden structure. The sturdy wooden door creaked invitingly as the pair stepped inside the warm room on an otherwise chilly morning.

Few of the tables were occupied, and those that were merely chatted quietly to themselves. The travelers went over to the bar and each sat on a stool.

The figure cleaning glasses looked up at the sound of visitors and turned around to see them in full profile.

Lucy was a tall woman that had meat on her bones. She looked like she was approaching her forties with her dark indigo hair pulled into two low short pigtails. Her green eyes sparkled with welcome as she looked over the two. "Fancy seeing you two again."

They both smiled at her in greeting. "Hey Lucy, can we get a sandwich?"

"Coming right up!" She went off into the kitchen and left them to themselves.

Selma pulled out a small book and set it before her along with a pen. He looked curiously over at it and leaned closer.

She caught him staring. "Oh, this is my Ghost Codex. I tend to right notes on each encounter."

He saw quick sketches of poes too. Each of them looked different and some he hadn't even seen before.

"I have some notes from my grandpa's as well."

He sat up straight again and she started to scribble inside her notebook. Time passed a little until Lucy came out again with what they ordered.

"How's adventurin' coming along?" she asked the two kids, who were shoveling sandwiches down their throats.

Selma tried to talk with her mouth full but that went unsuccessfully, so she swallowed it all (nearly choking herself) and so told her about the trip to meet the peaceful Gorons and the exorcism. Lucy listened with a warm smile on her face and straightened up once the girl finished.

"So where are you kids rushing off to now?"

Link leaned on the counter with his elbows and interlaced his fingers in front of his face. He hadn't thought of that part yet and he had yet to discuss the matter fully with Shaedna since he didn't get the opportunity.

"Ummm…" Selma scratched the back of her head. Apparently she didn't have a clue either.

The woman sighed and shook her head with her hands at her hips. "Kids these days, wandering around the world without planning what's ahead of them first…" She pointed to the tavern door. "How about you take a stroll around Kakariko? Perhaps our peaceful town will clear your heads a little."

Selma perked up a bit and finished gobbling down her sandwich. "Come on, Link! Let's go exploring!" She got down, linked her arm with his, and nearly made him fall flat on the tavern floor but kept his balance by some miracle but stumbling. He looked back at his unfinished sandwich sadly before being dragged through the now open door.

Lucy merely chuckled and took their plates, shaking her head along the way.

(*)

Link was finally released from her hold and got his balance (oh sweet, sweet balance!) and looked over at her. She stood proudly with her hands at her hips staring across the town. She then returned his gaze.

"Wanna come along with me? I heard that there was a potion shop here, I'm gonna check it out!" She was literally bouncing on her heels.

He was about to accept the proposal, but something nagged at him. Literally; Shaedna's lantern was shaking slightly at his side. He didn't dare look down or else Selma would notice, so he just shook his head and told her that he would find her later.

She was okay with his response and waved before walking off to what he assumed was the potion shop.

He merely sighed. Perhaps she didn't notice.

The green-clad Hylian felt a tug at his waste. He looked down at Shaedna's lamp that was still tied at his waste. The second tug pulled him off balance and made him cry out in surprise as he stumbled to gain it again. The tugging continued until they were in a shadowed space between two small buildings.

The poe, in all her glory, popped into view. "Man I'm glad you said no! I was afraid that I was gonna be stuck in my lantern for another day! Don't get me wrong, it's rather cozy in there, but you can feel trapped when you don't have another choice!" She started stretching and Link dead-panned.

He didn't even know ghosts could be that uncomfortable.

She finished stretching and crossed her arms. "Okay, back to business. I have a little errand that we need to do that involves a graveyard. Sound interested?"

He was about to answer, _Umm no thank you. Please try again for another hero,_ but she pushed him along saying, "Okay, let's go!"

The boy sighed and merely went in the direction that she pointed him to. He jumped off the ledge on the other side of the cramped outside corridor and adjusted his hat before looking around.

The sun still had much to go before it was fully in the sky. He figured that he still had a lot of the day to spend and so he shouldn't worry about the time. He went up to the sign that told him exactly where he was supposed to go when he was suddenly stopped by an elderly man.

The man looked up at him under his hood and asked him, "Are you going to the graveyard, by chance?"

He stiffened before nodding.

The hooded man shook his head. "Trouble seems to be brewing there nowadays. The keeper abandoned his post long ago. Consider where you are going first." Then he crossed his arms behind his hunched form and strolled past the stunned man.

Link shivered when he looked at the now foreboding-looking sign again before trudging up the path.

(*)

It only took them a few minutes to reach the graveyard. They figured it would be vacant, so she floated next to him freely.

The rising sun bathed the cemetery in yellow, giving it an eerie and dead look. A tall wooden arch blocked the view of most of it, but they could see rows of tombstones leading up a hill. A few dead pitch black trees sat alone in the depressing setting. They cast shadows from the bright sun beneath their prickly branches. Cobblestone lined a small path in front of each stone along with glimpses of metal fences.

She snatched her lantern from him and started to drift ahead. "Come on, slowpoke."

When he stepped past the arch he spotted a small hut that was leaning. It looked abandoned and worn from weather.

Link also passed by a large stone in front of all of the others, though he couldn't make out what it said. He just followed Shaedna as she calmly drifted past the other tombstones without a glance back.

They finally reach the top of the hill which held two gravestones. Between the two there was a large hole with an engraving of the Triforce on the ground in front of it. The two gravestones were identical and more long than tall.

He looked up and saw a fence on what looked like a ledge. He stared puzzlingly at it; why would there be a lone fence up there?

Shaedna twirled around and faced him and held her hands out as if a presentation while bringing him out of his thoughts. "Here is our destination!"

The poe drifted over to the right gravestone and looked over the stone as if contemplating something. Link went over to her side and read the script.

_R.I.P. Flat the Younger._

Link was flown backwards and landed on his back with a loud _OOF!_ He groaned and knew that he'd been hit in the chest by something hard. He craned his neck over to where the gravestone was.

There was a ghost floating there. Shaedna merely stood there in shock and stared at the figure. He wore what looked like a green robe with the Triforce and a matching cap with a moon symbol on it. He had a ginger mustache and two cloudy red eyes. He held his lamp and a conductor's baton of which his flicked menacingly.

"Flat… Why…" She was interrupted when he waved his lantern in her direction. Flames consumed her and she reappeared into existence right next to Link.

He grunted as he got to his feet, spurred on by the situation they were in. The poe named Flat took taunting swipes in Link's direction as if to beckon him forward. And Link took that challenge as he drew his new blade.

Shaedna snapped her fingers and turned into the small flickering purple flame and sat on his shoulder once again. She sat there in silence for moment in contemplation. Then she whispered slowly, _"I don't know why he is acting this way. So we must bring him to his senses. Poes have low patience and tend to charge without thinking. Flat is no different. Use that to your advantage."_

He nodded grimly as he gripped the foreign weight in his hands. He didn't know who this ghost was, but Shaedna seemed to know. And as her companion he was obliged to help her out along with this Flat.

Link lunged out at his opponent, not yet accustomed to the weight and somewhat stumbled. Flat used the opportunity to maul him with his light.

The Hylian stumbled from the hit and was backed into the same grave that the ghost awakened from.

Well, that hurt. His back was already sore from earlier. He grunted in pain but willed himself to get up.

Flat was already waiting for him. He flicked his baton in a stabbing motion.

He dodged and sliced at him with his own weapon. The impact hurt the poe and he threw his arms up in surprise and pain.

But Link was surprised to see, or rather hear, _laughter. _He came to a dead stop and stared at him in wary puzzlement. Why was the poe laughing?

The ghost faded away into invisibility with a cackle. The only signs of Flat still being there were the sounds of metal clinking and robes fluttering. He tensed and kept his sword ready.

"Look out!" he heard Shaedna cry. He felt a hard impact against his back which made him fall forward onto his front. The surface was hard and he happened to hit his nose on it.

The swordsman felt dazed and everywhere throbbed. But he lifted his heavy head up to look at what he was draped over.

_R.I.P. Sharp the Elder._

He saw what was coming and rolled out of the way of a foreseen attack. The sound of clinking and the air rising signaled a new presence. His intuition was correct; another figure came into sight before him.

Here appeared another ghost in clothing similar to Flat's but red in style. He was shorter and stouter than the green ghost and his ginger hair had curls. However, they both had identical mustaches.

On his hat was the symbol for the sun and his chest the Triforce. He held a thick lantern identical to Flat's and his own baton. But he held them calmly at his side and stared at Link with slitted pale foggy red eyes.

"What business have you in Kakariko Graveyard, land where only the dead roam? This is no place for one as full of life as you. Or do you say that you wish to join the dead? That is fine…" The poe smiled under his mustache and took on a battle stance. "If that is the case, sleep gently to the Melody of Darkness that the great composer, Sharp shall play… and join the ranks of the dead."

Then the ghost slowly raised his baton. Link tensed and raised his sword at the deceased composer.

Shaedna's flame flickered. "COVER YOUR EARS, LINK!"

Flat seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. "SHARP, NO!"

Sharp made harsh flicking gesticulations with his baton. The melody brought forth signaled eerie darkness and peril. The sun was blocked temporarily and the setting turned dark and red in hue.

The swordsman suddenly felt pain stabbing at him. The world started to turn blurry and the scenery was changing. Link blinked before realizing that he was falling. His legs didn't have the strength to hold his weight anymore and so he was on the cold ground. His sword clattered uselessly at his side.

He felt tired all of the sudden. Oh so very tired. His nose hurt where it was hit and his arms were losing energy while trying to keep him up. Something was leeching his strength away until he had none left.

He didn't even realize that he was still trying to get up. Perhaps he was too tired to think properly.

He heard a voice screaming at him to get up. He knew that voice, it was familiar. But he was too exhausted at the moment to hear what it said and his arms were shaking too much to support his weight. His mind was fading into unconsciousness and drawing a blank. His bright blue eyes dulled and darkened as he hit the cold ground; soon they saw nothing.

(*)

His head that was filled with darkness started to awaken. There were notes playing that was slowly making itself known. It was a slow melody that brought peace to his sore head. Cold and lifeless blue eyes started to brighten in color and behold life. Warmth started to fill his aching limbs and give his body life.

His fingers started to twitch and he was able to grab the hard earth beneath him. His limbs told him that they were strong enough to support him once again, and so he shakily got on all fours. The melody that was playing supported him and gave him strength enough to stand.

Before he knew it, he was standing up straight and proper.

"That was the Song of Healing."

Link looked curiously over at where the voice came from. It came from the strong poe Flat, of which was holding his baton steadily in his hand as if he was going to continue conducting at any moment.

"It will only help you for a short period of time," The conductor continued, "so I suggest you keep my brother busy while I compose another song."

Link warily nodded. He did feel exceptionally better, but he still felt a little sore.

He realized that the harsh song wasn't playing anymore. Sharp stood there stiffly with his baton still raised as if stunned. Then he shook himself out of his stupor and faced the boy again. "You shall perish by the hands of the dead!"

Link charged now and dodged Sharp's agitated swing of his lantern by stepping to the left, his hair blowing with the swing's current. The boy got in close and swiped horizontally with his sword. The ghost was hit, and so he used the same trick Flat used: disappear.

This time Link stood there quietly and closed his eyes to focus all of his senses into one. He heard the poe circling him, sizing him up, deciding whether to strike. So he clenched the hilt of his sword in his left tighter.

"Hayyyyah!" Link cried out, using a spinning slash. Sparks lined the blade with the speed and cut what little blades of grass there was.

He held his crouched position. Something tapped his head and he looked skyward.

Drips of rain fell down from the sky and drenched the living. Soft music drifted up from the ground and grew louder in volume. It seemed like a godly melody decided to step before them to cease the fighting.* It must have also been crying for Sharp, who had been striking in mindless rage. But it was already over.

Sharp was nothing more than a green orb of fire. His expression looked disgruntled and forlorn. He looked up when Shaedna quietly floated over to him.

"Sharp…" she muttered, "what's going on? What happened to you?"

The green glob of fire looked down to the ground and contemplated his answer. "I… I do not know. Maybe it was a year ago. Two years ago. Ten. A week. A day. I do not know when this happened."

Flat drifted over to them. "I remember. It was a week ago and we were protecting the crypts of the Royal Family descendants from an army of ghosts and ghouls. But there was one that stood out the most. A figure wearing a low cowl over their face turned their attention to Sharp, and he started to act differently. He stopped fighting and betrayed me. He sealed me in my own grave."

The green flame saddened at the news at how he had done that to his own brother.

"After that, I must have lost my sanity. I felt more and more alone in my grave and I thought about everything. About you, about Sharp, about Dar, about Hyrule's history. I could not end my duties there! I still had much to do! So I tried to fight my way through this barrier of sorts, the host of my form. But I could not break free, and I lost track of time… It was as if I was stuck in a long and maddening coma, and so now the first time I regained my senses is from hearing Sharp play. It is humorous, a song that should madden and weaken brought coherency and life back!"

Link's face took on a puzzled emotion. There was an unfamiliar name that he had mentioned.

Sharp's form looked up at him. "What was the song that you played, brother? I have not heard it before."

"That is what I call the Song of Storms. I composed it so that if your temper ever consumes you, then I have a way to grab you out."

"I do not have a bad temper!"

Shaedna stepped in. "Before you two geezers bicker, I need information. This shorty here-"

Link sneezed.

"-is the one I chose to be as a 'hero.' The scythe was stolen and broken apart. I want to know about everything: Who nabbed it, where they are, what we can do about it, and how many are in on it. I want to know what we're up against, and pronto."

Both poes nodded respectfully.

"You are dismissed." She then disappeared into her lantern again, making it flicker wildly before settling.

Link shivered with his arms around himself since he was soaking wet. The Hylian was about to turn around and head back to town when he felt Flat grab his arm. It felt solid and deathly cold. "Wait a moment."

He turned around and Sharp looked up at him. "You're his descendant, aren't you? The Hero of Time's?"

He stood there frozen, wide-eyed in shock.

"I fought against him, the Hero. His fighting style was similar to yours, although he did have a shield as well with his Master Sword." He smiled at the boy. "If it is you, then perhaps you could find something for us. They are called the Ivories of Obscurity. Nobody knows what it is, or where it is at, or even what it does. But if it is you, then perhaps you can find what we have been searching for, for years."

He looked at them with interest. How could he possibly do it alone with nothing to go on? But for some reason, he nodded anyway. He could not turn down that offer.

And so he was finally able to head back to Kakariko, and he did so without looking back.

They got closer to town, but before they could do so, Shaedna got out of her lantern and stopped him.

"Before we get back, I want to discuss something with you…" She turned her back to him. "About Sharp and Flat's proposal, you don't have to go through that. Nobody knows where it is. Don't worry about it."

She glanced over at him over her small shoulder.

He considered what she said before smiling and shaking his head.

She stared at him before smiling and shaking her head herself. The girl returned to her lantern and let Link step into town. The rain fell from the sky and clouded the view of the green-clad Hylian before fading entirely.

* * *

><p>* -this is supposed to sound like the Wind Waker from it's respected game. They're both batons, and I wanted to try them sounding similar. Sadly I can only give you the imagination in your heads instead of the real sound.<p>

Kisuke:

So how'd you like this chapter? I was originally going to split Chapter 4, but that'd take extra editing and I'd have to find a good midpoint to split it and it looked okay as it was. So I left it and this one as well. 3,690 words excluding Author's Note! The longer the better, right?

So Flat's explanation about being trapped in his own grave must've been some type of nod to Edgar Allen Poe. I haven't read The Cask of Amontillado yet, but I've heard of it and some minor details resembles it, like how someone Flat associates with, like Sharp, turns against him and locks him up into a catacomb. Just thought I'd point that out, it was kind of interesting to me.

I've been taking some details from Majora's Mask for these two since we don't really know much about them with just OoT alone. Sadly I haven't played through MM, it has a lot of interesting ideas from what I've seen... I'd always get stuck at the beginning. So the Composer Brothers seem like they've been serving under multiple kingdoms, why is that? They sure have a lot of loyalties. So that tells me that they are very old poes and they've traveled far and know a lot in their long life, or rather, afterlife. I figured they'd make interesting characters to write about and their characters will be more defined later.

**Need more reviews! **This story is still like two months old, so I'd like to get feedback when I can. I'd like to hear all of your ideas and criticism! I have a whole bucket of candy like snickers and kit kats that I'll share with you all if you press that awesome little button!

**Sheik: **You do have a bucket of candy, but you're not going to share it with anybody.

**Kisuke: **Darn, my secret's discovered! But you're free to have some when Halloween comes by.

**Sheik: **But nobody knows where you live.

**Kisuke: **Of course they do. It's my imaginary door on fan fiction.

**Sheik: **Oh, right... The imaginary door...

**Kisuke: **All right, guys! I have to plan ahead for the next chapter, so good luck and Happy Halloween!

**Sheik: **'Happy Halloween' doesn't make sense...

**Kisuke: **Ugh, go away Sheik...**  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Kisuke: **Okay, it's been forever since I updated, but please don't kill me. Been suuuuper busy and procrastinating, been working on two other stories, both of which are original fiction. And one of them, a vampire story, will soon be uploaded onto fanfiction's sister site, Fictionpress. I now have a deviantart account, and have been managing that. Soon I may make a profile so that all of these links are set up with their links. It will just take some time. In the meanwhile, I'll update this chapter since it's just been sitting there, and I'm super guilty that I hadn't updated sooner for those of you who've been waiting. No guarentees on how fast I update, I am super slow in whatever I do, so I'm sorry about that. :( But I haven't given up on this story, and I'll try my best!

Once summertime hits, I'll have an extreme amount of time to write all three stories. XD Expect me to go wild when the time hits, for my imagination is still running. And hopefully I'll have some doodles to back up my story as well~

I wrote this a while ago, and in such short time my writing style has improved a bit. So when I update again, you may notice some improvement.

Well, long note, hope you enjoy this chapter. Not super action packed or anything, kind of a middle chapter. Sometimes I wish I can get to the better parts right away. =_=

LOZLOZ: This is my time lapse / change of POV / break since my original one refuses to show up on here XP

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The rain poured down mercilessly and drowned all matter with its tears. Green looked up at the dreary sky. It ignored the blue-eyes' gaze and continued to weep.

Soaked and soggy blonde bangs covered the same blue eyes and water trailed down his face. Link did not remember when the last time a storm this dreadful happened. The buildings were a shadow of their past selves, visible only if you squint.

The lone figure walked silently in search of a haven away from the shower. He saw the color brown. A door made itself visible in his vision and his gloved hand reached for it urgently.

The volley of water cascading down his back ceased and he leaned against his wooden savior gratefully. His tired eyes roamed the tavern that they had visited earlier on in the day.

The room was inhabited with people that he hadn't seen before. Most of them turned their curious glances to him. Link suddenly felt nervous and self conscious from their gazes and so sought a more proper place to occupy. He discovered a lone bar stool and made to sit on it.

"That young lady is still out there somewhere. She hasn't come back yet."

He froze mid-action and looked up at the speaker as if to say, _pardon?_

Lucy was cleaning one of her plates with her back to him. "Selma Trinity. I assume the two of you split up to roam the city? Seeing as you arrived before she did." She snuck a glance over her shoulder to look at him.

Concern gripped his heart like a vise. She only mentioned that she was going to one store. Why would she still be out there? Did she wander to somewhere else? Was she stuck somewhere and waiting for him to come save her?

He stood up once again and squeezed the wet out of his hat, of which would soon be soaked again. He unceremoniously plopped it onto his head and hurriedly grasped the door latch.

"Wait."

He froze over and looked at the bartender again. Two times in one day that she had stopped him.

She picked up a brown coat off of a hanger on the wall and threw it over to him. "Here. You're gonna need it."

Link grabbed it in his hands and nodded his thanks before enshrouding himself. His feet brought him once again into the raging sea of rain.

If he was going to search for her, then he had to trace her possible route. Selma mentioned that she was searching for a unique potion shop… But he didn't even know where to start. He was searching blindly through a watery veil. Only the ground beneath him could be seen; it was better than nothing. He squinted his eyes in the direction he saw her go.

Link brushed his soggy bangs out of his face and felt around the side of the tavern. He narrowed his eyes in hopes that he could see the connected buildings better.

He walked right into a stone wall and hit his nose. The swordsman cried out and landed on the soaked and slippery ground. He winced and made to push himself back up.

"_Link…"_ He looked up to see Shaedna holding her lantern above him. He didn't even realize she had come out. _"Use my lantern. It'll make things easier."_

He looked up at the lantern she was holding. Of course! The flame was covered with misty glass. He graciously took it and carefully stood up.

He raised the handle high and looked around. He could still only see a little in front of himself, but at least it was feet instead of inches. But it was an unnatural light, of a violet shade. The purple light from the flame was harder to see than the bright golden light of a regular flame.

In front of him was a tall stone wall. Link furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember how to get around. He and Selma had come down this way before.

He looked both left and right before stumbling on something. He landed face-first on a hard surface that jutted out from the ground. A painful grunt came from him when he realized they were stairs. His body still hurt from the fight from earlier.

He got up and sneezed while ascending the steps. There were two buildings on either side up here. He checked the left one first, only to see that it was a general store. He frowned and checked the other one.

It was the potion shop. He smiled out of relief and turned the knob of the wooden door.

It was locked.

Link stepped back out of surprise. Would Selma be in a locked shop? If not, then where would she wander to? He hasn't been with her for very long, so he actually didn't know her very well. He urgently knocked on the door.

He was so focused on knocking hard that he didn't even notice the door opening. He hit something soft with his knuckle, earning an "ouch!" from whoever he hit.

"What are you doing?"

Link gasped and recoiled. He properly got a look at the person standing now in the doorway.

There was a tanned man rubbing his nose there. He was only a little taller than Link himself. He stopped rubbing the bridge of his nose to look down at him.

Link nervously looked down at his boots.

The man sighed. "How can I help you, kid?"

Link looked back up at the man underneath his hood. He remembered his purpose here and it showed through his eyes.

The shopkeeper looked curiously down at him. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be here for the girl here, would you?"

The swordsman gasped and nodded at him.

He stepped aside and made a hurrying gesture. "Come in, kid. You'll get sick if you stay out there any longer."

He gratefully stepped inside and wrapped his arms around himself. The door was closed behind him and the shopkeeper went over to the counter. Link took a second to look around the shop.

The room wasn't awfully large. It was dimly lit with a few candles set out. Wooden shelves adorned the walls and were stocked up with bottles and ornaments.

He retrieved a blanket and held it out for him. "Here, take off your coat and warm yourself up before you go. I bet a few seconds out in that weather felt like hours."

Link slipped off the now-soaked thin coat and draped it across the counter, not knowing where else to put it. He slipped off his gloves and took the blanket from him and wrapped it around himself. He shivered and closed his eyes for a second.

"I can show you to your friend if you like."

He opened his eyes and looked at the man who was standing in the nearby hallway. He nodded and followed after him.

Link could hear voices in another part of the store. They walked into another room and came across two people in the middle of a discussion.

"This is so COOL! How does it work, exactly?" Selma was in front of another counter holding a bottle of odd-looking blue liquid. It appeared to be glowing neon.

"It's a transformation potion. One can be transformed into a werewolf, but it has side effects. You'd have a peculiar taste for a… certain red liquid and have an odd affiliation with trees and dogs, even after the transformation has taken place. Transformation could be permanent as well, but who knows," explained the woman behind the counter. She appeared elderly and adorned in silks. Her face was shadowed by a hood.

Selma puzzled over this. "Hmmm… I'm not old enough to drink wine, so I guess I'll pass…" She spotted Link and the shopkeeper in the hallway and clapped her hands together. "Oh hi, Link! Sorry that I took so long, but I LOVE this store! I can't decide on anything!"

He sighed and covered his face with his palm.

Selma smiled at the shopkeeper. "This place is awesome; I'll have to go back sometime!"

The shopkeeper leaned toward Link and whispered, "Yes, please take her out… She's been here for hours…"

She looked thoughtful with her hand on her chin for a moment. "I wonder if poe collecting will get me enough money…"

Link shook his head and grabbed her hand, trying to drag her out of the store. She looked back at them and called out, "I'll be back with some real business next time!"

They reached the front door and Link took the blanket off from around himself. He was still shivering, but he dealt with it. He then strapped on his gloves and grabbed the still-soaked-but-slightly-drier cloak and held it out for her.

Selma stared at it before taking it in her hands and tying it around herself. Link was in the middle of fastening his cap to his head when she said, "Sorry."

He looked up at her questioningly.

She looked down and had a wry smile on her face. "I made you worry, didn't I?"

A tense silence followed. His mouth formed a grim line.

She scratched the back of her head. "I have a tendency to do that sometimes. I get really excited about something and get held up. So, I'm sorry."

Link went up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see him shaking his head. He had a soft smile on his face, and she couldn't help but smile too.

She looked at him. "Don't you have a cloak too?"

He shook his head.

She placed her hands on her hips. "I can't go out there knowing that! You're gonna get sick!"

Link just shook his head and opened the door.

Selma sighed and followed behind him. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

He smiled and stepped out into the rain.

LOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZ

They reached the tavern and stepped inside. They were both soaked from the rain and were shivering. Link especially was worse for wear; his hair and clothes were dripping and his armor was now freezing cold heavy metal.

Selma, on the other hand, was bundled up in the cloak that now didn't have a single trace of dry on it. Her normally cheerful expression was replaced with an uncomfortable one. The fringe that normally hung above her abnormal eyes was dripping onto her face.

Lucy rushed over to them and looked them over. "Oh my word! You two are soaking wet! Come dry yourselves upstairs and have a warm cup of tea!"

They graciously nodded and followed after her to the rooms that were assigned to them. (Since they were of different gender, they couldn't share the same room.) They were lucky that there were enough rooms for the both of them; the inn was filled with people sheltering from the weather.

Link sneezed while he changed into some warm clothes. Lucy had lent them some spare clothes with a comment on how "travelers should always have a spare change of clothes no matter the circumstances!" He sadly thought about how he couldn't really carry anything on his back because of all the weight he already had to carry, such as his sword and provisions. The rest he felt he had to leave at his home, kept under lock and key.

Now that he was changed into a new white tunic and some dry pants, boots discarded, he felt a little better. However, he still felt a little under the weather. His nose had decided to run and a headache was starting to form. He pushed his dizziness aside and went downstairs for Lucy's offered cup of tea.

Link joined Selma at the bar and leaned on the counter. Lucy had already set out his cup for him and Selma was sipping hers happily. The bartender wasn't there, however. Maybe she had other things to tend to.

"Y'know, Link," started Selma. Link craned his neck at her. "I want to help get rid of what's happening in this region. It scares me to think of what I'm up against, but somebody's got to do it. I can feel something off when I hunt those poes. I don't know if it's because I'm new or that it's because something really bad's gonna happen. But I don't know where to start."

Link looked down gravely at the counter. He had been thinking about this as well, and he figured out that that somebody has to be him.

She peered curiously around his shoulder. "Hey, you seem to always have that lantern at your side. Is it something important to you?"

Link started to sweat and he nervously gulped. He managed a shaky nod.

"Can I see it?"

That was what he was afraid that she would ask. But he consented and handed it over to her.

She gripped it in her arms. "Man, this thing is heavy! I bet it could knock somebody out if someone wanted to!" She then turned it around with her hands. "Hmmm, this is similar in design to a poe's lantern, but it's… different. It's bigger, heavier, and slightly different in its frame." She giggled. "If it really was a poe's lantern, I'd probably be immediately trying to exorcize it of spirits!" The ghost hunter gently handed it back to him.

He let out a huge sigh of relief. But this brought up some new questions for him.

Why was Shaedna's lantern different? And, more importantly, what does that say about Shaedna herself?

He kept those questions to himself and finished his tea.

Lucy came back and handed them something to eat, and they did so quietly.

Link wasn't feeling too well, however. He kept sneezing and he shivered slightly. He almost coughed onto his plate as well.

Selma looked over at him in concern. "Are you all right?"

He nodded tiredly and hung his head low.

"**Link!"**

He jumped in his seat and looked up at the sight of Lucy with a frying pan. She whacked him over the head and he fell to the counter.

Selma gasped. "Lucy!"

She held her hands on her hips. "I didn't hit him that hard, only enough to knock him out. He needs the sleep, anyway."

"But… but… it hurt him, didn't it?"

Lucy stared hard at the girl. "In these few days I've gathered that he's a kind young man. But that can lead to his downfall. He even went out in that rain looking to make sure that you were all right. I don't think that he's the type of boy to lie low and recover."

"Oh." She paused to think it over. "I guess this makes sense."

The bartender shook her head and sighed. "Stubborn kids…" she muttered. She looked over at one of the tables and called out, "Hey, Stewart! Take this young man up to his room!"

One of the men got up and walked over. He wore mostly black and held a cane. His hair was black yet fading to gray. He hefted Link over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. "Which room?"

"Second to the left."

He left up the stairs carrying him. The rest of the tavern returned to their private conversations.

Selma sighed and sank back into her seat. But she spotted something in the corner of her eye. She looked around and spotted Link's lantern next to where he was sitting.

"Oh, I should probably carry it up to him." She grabbed the handle with both hands and lifted it up. Strain showed on her face. "Man, how did Link carry this on his belt? How doesn't he lean a little to the side at LEAST?"

She walked up the stairs toward his room.

Makes you wonder how she carries a coffin-shaped crate on her back with only one shoulder strap, doesn't it?

LOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZ

Everything felt black to Link. His vision, the feeling he had, even his hearing was dull. He felt dizzy and fatigued. He let out a painful moan and coughed.

He heard voices above him.

"…_I think he's waking up."_

"_Give him a moment. He's certain to still be tired. I don't think he should even be up yet, it's been only a few hours."_

"_Well… don't hit him again."_

_A laugh bubbled up. "Don't worry kid, I won't."_

Link opened his eyes and everything was a blur. He blinked a few times and things slowly turned back into focus.

Lucy and Selma were standing over him. Lucy had her arms crossed and Selma beamed down at him with a smile. "Are you all right?"

He made to sit up, but Lucy stopped him. "Woah woah, you shouldn't be getting up yet. Just lie down."

He sighed and settled back down again. He pulled his covers up to his chin and frowned up at them.

She laughed. "Don't be like that, kid. It's for your own good."

He sneezed and coughed. Lucy handed him a disposable handkerchief. He took it thankfully.

Link didn't look too much better from earlier. He looked like he needed more sleep, and he was still shivering as if he was freezing. But, he wasn't dead yet. He'd fight it, and then he'll be up in no time trying to save Hyrule.

"So what do you think you think you'll do, even if you could get out of that bed?" she asked him.

He looked up at the ceiling and pondered this for a moment.

She laughed. "Exactly. How about you plan where you're heading first before you decide to get up." She walked over and stopped at the open doorway. "Come on, dear. Let's give him a little time."

She looked between the bartender and him before sighing and following after her. The door closed behind them.

He heard the familiar sound of Shaedna appearing from her lantern in a cloud of fire. She stretched and floated over to him. "Looks like you've gotten yourself into a little pickle, haven't you, little mouse?"

He only frowned at her.

She paused to think. "Maybe Flat and Sharp will have discovered something by tomorrow, hmmm?"

Link took on a puzzled expression.

"Most likely they would have gotten to work right away. At least since I've come back, they would…" She let a corkscrew of fire twirl up her small and thin arm for a moment.

He shivered. This time it was not because of his cold.

She turned to him. "Well, you should get some rest, blade-boy. We're gonna actually get some work done."

He drowsily nodded and settled down into his pillow. He slept soundly with the thought that they would get somewhere the next day.


	8. Chapter 7

**Kisuke: **Another update! :D This file was half-finished, so it was just a snap to fill everything in. Hopefully this'll set me up for the future. **  
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So, to all of my reviewers:

CuddlyPsyche: I love your ideas, and I may use them since they're just that great. :P Love Wolf Link too, he's fun in the game. And I think I have one of those in my brain too, too many to count actually. ;-_-

SamuelWeston: Glad that you like my story! :D And sorry for the scare, I've been getting less and less time a day to write these days. My updates became slower and soon stopped because of how I got caught up with other things. Like my other two stories that I mentioned.

WolfenAmphithere: Glad you like it! :D Yes, I'm trying hard to keep it original, but with bases and inspiration from the other LoZ games. I did a lot of research on the games and discovered some things I didn't know before, like in the Majora's Mask game that I couldn't play without a walkthrough to save my life. ;-_- Relatively, this adventure occurs some time after Ocarina of Time and before the catastrophic events prior to Wind Waker.

MasterMind 16X: Sorry that I disappeared for quite some time, I very well may have died XP But I'm back from the dead! Maybe! :D Hehe, I'll try not to have my next update next year~ ;=^-^=

Hope you guys enjoy this next update, even if it feels short compared to my other chapters!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Link stretched his arms and back. He felt much better today. He had slept like a log and now his condition was reduced to a cough now and then. But he was still being watched closely. Link was starting to hate the feeling.

He and Selma were now heading out of Kakariko. They were heading toward Lon Lon Ranch to get some horses for the road. Or at least to borrow them.

Selma pumped out her fist. "All right! I'm gonna get the most beautiful horse ever!"

He smiled at her antics as he walked beside her.

They approached a short bridge and were about to cross it. The water looked only to be a stream right now.

Something moved from under the bridge and three figures came up. They sprung out at the two travelers. Link jumped, startled, and Selma hid behind him.

"Give us all you've got," ordered one of them. He was a rugged bandit like the other two of his group. He had a knife in hand.

Link drew his sword at this and eyed the blade warily. At times like this he wished he had a shield to raise.

"We're not afraid of you," Selma declared. She stepped out from behind Link.

"What is this, a costume festival?" commented the second man on the right. He held a short sword. They laughed amongst themselves at this.

Link wildly shook his head at her. She still looked confident with her hands on her hips. She even saw his silent message, but this is Selma we're talking about. "Link's the best swordsman around. You can't beat him with toys like that."

He sighed before focusing and observed his situation. The last man had a knife as well. Each of them looked strong and were a lot older than him. They were probably more experienced in combat than he was. The bandits could easily overpower him and he could get injured if it comes down to it. He couldn't let that happen. Selma didn't deserve this.

Something zoomed by, too fast for them to see it happen properly. Whatever it was hit one of the thieves in the neck and he toppled over. The remaining two looked around in bewilderment.

A figure hopped down seemingly from thin air and landed on one of them. He was crumpled to the ground. The remaining was struck in the back of his neck. He fainted from the blow.

Link was surprised as he looked at their savior.

It was Sheik. He stood up and brushed himself off. His hair wasn't visible from the last time he'd seen him, however. It must have either been cut off or merely hidden in his cowl. He also noticed that he had a short sword sheathed behind him now. His lyre was on his back.

Link looked around to see a tree nearby. But it was nearly ten feet away. How could Sheik have possibly jumped from all the way over there?

"Who are you?" Selma asked.

Link turned his attention back to them.

The man had a mischievous glint to his visible eye as he looked at her. His arms were crossed. "I am Sheik, a lone descendent of the Sheikah tribe." He took a second to look at Link. "So, Link. You've collected the Biggoron Sword. It must not have been a small task."

"You know him?" Selma asked Link.

He nodded.

The Sheikah turned his attention to the girl. "And you must be the new ghost hunter, Selma Trinity."

She clapped her hands together. Her wary mood must have changed since she figured he was a friend of Link's. "Yeah! How'd you know my name, Sheik?"

The mischievous glint in his eye returned again. "I have my sources." He pulled out his lyre from his back and started to play a tune. It was a calming melody. "I have a tale to tell you, Link, one that few have heard."

Selma walked over to the nearby tree and sat under it. Link shrugged and followed her to sit as well. Sheik amusedly smiled under his mask. However, he remained standing. "Fate is a cruel thing, sometimes crueler to some than others. Spite takes hold and swallows them in darkness. And this darkness is hidden within the depths of time." He paused for a moment. "A family of four sisters lived in a mansion deep within what is now called the Lost Woods.

"Eldest of the sisters is Meg, described to be the fairest of her sisters. She held an important role in society and was to be married off to a noble. She is also protective of her sisters, guarding them from their bouts.

"Joelle is the second oldest of the four sisters. Tomboyish and hot-tempered she was, often wishing that she could go to war with her father, a knight of the Hyrulean army. She had many dreams, until the very end…

"Beth was close to her sister Joelle. Her condition was sickly and all she wanted to do was stay at their house in the forest. She wanted best for her siblings, and always convinced them that they mustn't stop their dreams and activities to care for her. Beth continued living until an early death.

"Amy is the youngest of the sisters. She is seen to love art, is often spoiled, and acts like a proper young lady. However, she enjoys playing pranks on others and often gets in trouble for it. An accident in the cold winter months ended her life…

"Beth was the first to pass on. Her condition weakened considerably and so she was bedridden. She had many regrets that she could not continue to live on with her sisters. Even before, she often wondered what would become of her if her sisters left. Her suspicions were justified; Meg would marry and soon leave on business. Joelle had dreams to fulfill and may have even become one of the only women within Hyrule's army. And Amy would feel left behind and try to make something better of herself. But Joelle stayed by her side until the end of her life claimed her."

Selma was near tears at the thought of this tragic story. Link was calm and collected, though he had a solemn expression on his face.

"Joelle and Amy had a fight soon after and so Amy went to join Meg outside. However, she was lost in an accident. Joelle was consumed by grief, losing two of her sisters. She ended up losing her dreams, and was soon conquered by fatigue…

"Meg, now, was all alone. She cried in the middle of the lounge and was trapped by despair. She took her own life, and soon joined her sisters in the afterlife…"

Link and Selma shivered. Sheik stopped playing and lowered his lyre, placing a hand on his hip. He turned to look at them. "Their spirits still dwell within their home, what is now called the Forest Temple. The Hero of Time defeated them once, but they have not yet passed on. Their regrets are strong and pull them to this world. And that is where Ms. Trinity comes in."

Selma pointed to herself. "Me? How?"

He crossed his arms while he looked down at her. "Why, you will be escorting them to the next world, of course. It is your duty as a ghost hunter."

She considered this for a moment. "Hmmm. I guess that makes sense…"

He switched his attention to Link. "And you, Link. One of the Great Fairies is trapped there. You must set her free and gain her blessing. But first you must set the sisters free to get to her. And you may even find the one item that anchors them to this world once again…"

The swordsman tensed at the mention of this. Could this "anchor"… be the piece of the Shadow Scythe? He nodded gravely when Sheik was still observing him for response.

"Just one thing, I almost forgot." Selma pointed at the fallen bandits just a few feet away. "Are they…"

Sheik smiled under his mask. "They're merely asleep. The first got hit by one of my darts. The second is knocked out and the third I hit a pressure point."

Selma held a hand to her chest and let out a deep breath. "_Few!_ Okay, I just had to ask."

The man looked between the both of them. "You now know your tasks. Follow the song of the forest and it shall lead you to the Sacred Meadow. There are guardians of the forest that may try to impede you, but do not lose heart. This journey shall be a rewarding one."

Sheik stepped back and he held something in his hand. Link squinted to see what it was. He realized too late as he hopped up, but something flashed on the soft ground and blinded them. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Sheik was gone.

"He sure is a mysterious guy, ain't he?" Selma said. She had gotten up and was now standing next to Link.

He nodded.

"Well, let's go get our horses!" She started skipping toward their destination.

Link smiled and ran to catch up to her.

The tree that they had sat under shook slightly. Sheik was crouched down on one of the branches. He observed them quietly for a few minutes until they faded from sight.

"So he is the descendent of the Hero of Time," he commented to himself. "And Selma Trinity has promise." He mused over some thoughts in his head. "And that lantern…"

He left that sentence unfinished and hopped down from the branch. He landed on the ground, adjusted his gloves, and left for the entrance of Kakariko.

_Lon Lon Ranch, eh,_ he mused to himself. _An event that I wish I could observe myself._

LOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZLOZ

Link held out a map in his hands of the lands of Hyrule and looked it over with roaming eyes. Selma looked over his shoulder curiously next to him when they stopped to check their position at a crossroad.

"So we should be… here," Selma pointed, touching an intersection near the top right of the map.

When Link looked, Lon Lon Ranch was supposed to be right in the middle of Hyrule Fields, on top of a hill. He looked up from the sheet to observe each road when seeing that one slanted up a hill. Deciding on their path with sureness, he pointed to the correct one.

Selma held up her hand to look up at the hill's horizon, warding off the high sun's light. "So it should be past that hill then! I wonder what kind of place it is!"

He nodded, looking up curiously himself. He started picking up the bags that he had dropped momentarily and shouldered them back onto himself. The ghost hunter noticed this action and did the same, setting her crate back on her back.

They set off again down the road. For not the first time Link remarked how warm and bright it was today, it was almost hot enough that he was tempted to remove the armor from under his tunic. It was useless weight most of the time anyways, but it was best to keep ready on occasion. Who knew what else nature wanted to throw at him.

Selma hummed a little tune that was vaguely familiar beside him, seeming unbothered by the heat despite her heavy load and multiple layers of clothing. Sometimes he wondered whether everyone around him was odd or if it was just him.

They reached the top of the hill finally after a while and started to see a building within their sights.

"Oh, look, Link! I can see it, it's actually close by!" She started running in its direction.

He called out for her to slow down, getting into a run himself. The long grass still slicked with dew up here whipped at his boots when he passed, but he noticed the landscape had seldom trees. The growth up here must be limited, he concluded to himself.

The swordsman finally caught up to the girl, for she had stopped at the entrance to the ranch for some reason. Her back was to him and she was appearing to just stare at the wooden gates.

He was about to ask her what was wrong when she interrupted him.

"There's something wrong about this place."

Startled by her suddenly serious tone, he looked up to take another look at the entrance.

She was right, something was incredibly wrong. A shiver went down his spine when he realized that the temperature had just gone down ten degrees. The sun didn't shine as brightly up here despite the high position either, making the sky seem to dull in shade.

Shaedna's lantern started to twitch as well at his side. When he looked down it was still again, but he knew that it had occurred. So was it a message to turn back? To continue on? What if it was a new lead? If not, he couldn't simply leave this alone.

She tugged at his sleeve. He looked over at her to stare into her mismatched-colored grave eyes.

"I don't really want to go in there anymore," she finally started, "but I can't leave this alone. I feel obligated to see this through as a Trinity ghost hunter. You can head back to Kakariko if you don't want to go in."

He looked down at her with a stunned expression. He couldn't let Selma go in there alone, what kind of man would he be then? Sure, he wasn't used to all of this monster business even if he felt like he was. But it was much too late to back down now. He had forgotten all about that hunting gear project that he was to make for a customer back in Hyrule Town, and he was sure if he were to come back now the reputation of his business would go down. And he had no excuse right now except for running around Hyrule as a pretend knight.

He reached over and gripped both of her shoulders, shaking his head. Then he pointed over at the ranch while still looking into her eyes, nodding.

She stared at him with wide eyes as he got his communication came across. Once he finished, slowly she regained her cheerful manner. Her hands raised on their own to clap together before she grinned in excitement. "I'm glad you're going with me, Link! It makes me feel better knowing that I have a friend in a foreign place!"

He let his arms fall as he observed her reaction. A soft smile came over his face to see her all cheered up again before getting down to business again. They stood side by side, staring up at the gates once again when they finally found their resolve.

They marched on (Selma's in a wider and goofier gait) without looking back. Link kept looking from side to side without moving his head.

So he wasn't the only one to notice the dark atmosphere.

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><p><strong>Kisuke: <strong>The story about the Poe Sisters is edited from the novel Little Women, where it's believed that their names are taken from. The original sisters' names are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March. It's a novel series where the first novel was published in 1868 and the second in 1869. Pretty old, huh? Look it up on the Wikipedia page if you'd like to learn more.

Hehe, I like writing the parts where Sheik appears, mostly because he is the easiest person to write about besides Selma, even if the character is supposed to be mysterious. It's ironic how Link has to be the hardest one to write about. XP His actions have to speak for him, and his speech and thoughts aren't elaborated as much. So vague~ Shaedna isn't much better either, being mysteriously high and mighty herself.

**Sheik:** Nya~ *Sticks tongue out at the rest of the cast*


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